European Union unveils new AI rules to temper Big Brother fears

The EU unveils a plan Wednesday to regulate the sprawling field of artificial intelligence, aimed at making Europe a leader in the new tech revolution while reassuring the public against “Big Brother”-like abuses.

“Whether it’s precision farming in agriculture, more accurate medical diagnosis or safe autonomous driving — artificial intelligence will open up new worlds for us. But this world also needs rules,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her state-of-the-union speech in September.

“We want a set of rules that puts people at the centre.”

The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has been preparing the proposal for over a year and a debate involving the European Parliament and 27 member states is to go on for months more before a definitive text is in force.